Los Angeles-based band Swerve is pleased to present their new single “My Enemy Is Dead.”The track is latest pre-release single from the band’s debut album due this spring. “My Enemy Is Dead” debuted today at MXDWN and will be available on all streaming platforms this Friday.
About the song Swerve’s Gregory Mahdesian says:
This song was supposed to be about depression, loss, and finding a way to move on. Then, 2020 happened, and we all got put through the ringer. As the year wore on, we decided the song felt more like an anthem or reflection for the end of this political era. Maybe there’s some optimism in it, but if there is, it’s cautious.
This was the first song the band worked on together during our pandemic recording sessions. The song just came together so quickly, like it was waiting for us. We’ve taken the crisis seriously, so we worked together in-person sparingly, quarantining and getting tested before going into our producer Adam’s studio. Ryan and I initially focused on the song’s structure, and once we had the guitar parts for each act defined, Brandon and Mark added the heart and soul. The song entirely resisted overdubs and the extra stuff that we would normally add, so what you hear is a single take of the full band playing live together. Adam helped us ensure it has a purity that allows the component parts to shine.
The release of “My Enemy Is Dead” follows up the band’s single “Escape,” first track to be lifted from the band’s debut album. The offical video for the single, which was directed by Maddie Liner, debuted at PopMatters and can also be shared via YouTube.
On the song, PopMatters says, “There are hints of Radiohead and Teenage Fanclub lurking in the wings. But Swerve are more than a collage of influences, landing on something that is unique to this time and this band.”
The band adds, “‘Escape,’ is both a ripping and dreamy song about leaving all the chaos and frustrations of life behind and heading off on an adventure with someone you love. While recording, we jokingly dubbed it ‘Anarchy In The Fields Forever’ because we used ‘Anarchy In The UK’ by The Sex Pistols and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ by The Beatles as our primary sonic references for the guitars and found the contrasts in those tones to really go well together.”
In December, “Escape” reached #1 on the KROQ Locals Only Chart and stayed in rotation for seven weeks. The single is also available on now on all streaming platforms to add to your favorite playlists.
Swerve is a Los Angeles rock band featuring Gregory Mahdesian (vocals and guitar), Ryan Berti (guitar and vocals), Brandon Duncan (bass and vocals) and Mark Gardner (drums). Their music takes inspiration from nearly every era of rock history to create a unique sound that could only exist in the present moment.
Taking their cues from punk, psychedelia, British Invasion guitar pop and modern indie, Swerve sits comfortably alongside contemporaries like Queens of the Stone Age and Car Seat Headrest, as well as classic artists like Blur and Oasis. They craft songs that immediately grab your attention with larger than life choruses and unforgettable hooks.
In 2020 they paired up with producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Helium, Army Navy) – instantly bonding over a shared love of bands like Teenage Fanclub, the La’s and the Replacements – to craft their debut full length album, push their sound and challenge themselves. They soldiered through major life developments, constant political engagement, and, of course, the pandemic, to pour themselves into creating a vibrant and exciting record that ranges from the fierce to ethereal.
